Stockton Board of Trustees hosts public meeting

By jaredkeane on September 25, 2023

On Wednesday, September 20, at 3:30 p.m., the Stockton Board of Trustees held their first public meeting of the year in the Board of Trustees Room in the Campus Center.

Attendees begin to gather at the opening of the meeting. Photo Courtesy of Jared Keane.

The event began with Trustee Nelida Valentin, who congratulated the new students of the Stockton community. “They were so energetic and dynamic and looking for opportunities to engage. I left each of those visits with a sense of hope for our future,” said Valentin.

Another Trustee, Ray Ciccone, who is a Stockton alumnus and has served on the board for over a decade, addressed the room. “I arrived on campus as a nervous and shy person. Stockton changed my life forever. Everything professionally that I have achieved is because of Stockton,” said Ciccone. He was awarded a plaque with a gavel on it as a gift for his service.

The board then acknowledged the student Trustee, Juan Diego Chaparro Villarreal, who made his pledge to uphold the values of the state and community he is serving.

Trustee Nelida Valentin (left), Trustee Juan Diego Chaparro Villarreal (center) and President Joe
Bertolino (right). Photo Courtesy of Jared Keane.

At the end of his pledge, Trustee Chaparro Villarreal addressed the crowd, saying, “I just want to thank everybody that has been a part of my Stockton career and I know that a lot of students, those people have supported me all throughout. The fact that I am standing here today is thanks to the administration of Stockton University and my bosses at the Office of Student Development and everyone that has ever believed in me. So, I appreciate this school more than anything else.”

Afterward, President Joe Bertolino announced he is “confident under this leadership the board will continue to be a strong advocate for the University and its mission. I [Bertolino] am pleased to report that we are off to a great start. Interacting with our new and returning students I believe energized us all. “

“Opening is a team effort and I thank all of our personnel for a job well done. Stockton has also risen 49 spots, up to number 26 of top performers in social mobility, which is a school’s ability to enroll and graduate economically disadvantaged students,” said Bertolino.

Following the student success summary, Dr. Robert Heinrich announced that there is a 3% drop in enrollment and population from last semester; however, Heinrich claimed that there is an increase in diversity within the population from last semester.